The Blood of Ink
by Ice Lynx
Summary: Who is the new mutant who is carting around twelve homeless children around? Will Ink be able to open up in time to save the family that is made up purley of children? Dumb summary, rated for language. FINISHED!
1. Run in at the Mall

Well, to all my faithful reviewers and story readers, I am very sorry (but not that really) to bring you another piece of work from Ice Lynx, that's me, lol. K, so anyway, my usual disclaimer is the same as this one, I don't own X Men (One day Kurt and Logan will be mine, but since that day is not yet here... *sigh*) but I do own Ink. Ink is MINE, but if you ask I may give yeh permission ter use 'ole Inky, lmao.  
  
Ah, well as usual I'm out begging for reviews, and again I apologize to all of you who are waiting for updates on my other stories. My muse likes to run all over the place (I think she went on vacation to Florida or somethin), I have some (aka tons) of writers blocks on most of them, I am struggling through a few but it will take a bit longer... Ok, maybe a while, I do send my apologies.  
  
So here is another story. Enough with the A/N and lets get on with it.  
  
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"And then we can go to Ames, and then to the Fashion Bug, and-" Logan rolled his eyes and wondered how he had gotten stuck chaperoning Kitty and Jubilee on a trip to the mall, of all places. He was always getting these jobs.  
  
"I need to go to Renegades," Jubilee said. Logan looked at her.  
  
"Who?" he asked.  
  
"This new store, sells all sorts of cool stuff and cloths, they have a great selection of knives to..." Jubilee broke off, thinking.  
  
"Whoa, knifes?" Logan said. He never paid much attention to what the rules at the school were, but her was pretty sure that no knifes besides mutations were allowed there.  
  
"Yeah!" Jubilee said brightly. Logan sighed and shook his head, this was going to be a long day.  
  
Three hours later Logan slumped down in a cafeteria chair, exhausted and annoyed.  
  
"Can we go back now?" he growled. Kitty and Jubilee however looked at happy as ever as they put down their bags of cloths and jewelry.  
  
"Oh common, it's only three o clock!" Jubilee said brightly.  
  
"Yeah, we like wanted to stay at least till six or seven," Kitty added. Logan groaned.  
  
"Look out!" Suddenly a yell went out and a blur shot out of nowhere, crashing into the table the three mutants were sitting at and toppling it and the three sitting around it over. Logan roared and Kitty squealed, but Jubilee acted more swiftly and grabbed the leg of the person who had crashed into them. She came face to face with a green eyed kid, it was hard to tell whether it was a boy or girl and after lookin into the teen's fierce green eyes Jubilee decided it was impossible to tell at first look.  
  
She/he was dressed in a black leather jacket with a white T-shirt underneath, and his/her baggy carpenter pants had several chains hanging off the black belt. Heavy black boots flailed out at Jubilee as the teen struggled to get up and get his/her leg out of her clutch. Only one of the teen's ears was pierced with a small silver hoops, and a spiked collar was around his/her neck. The most noticeable thing, though, about the teen was the hair. It was cut short like a boy's, but had two strips in the front that hung almost to the shoulders, and it was colored a bright neon green.  
  
"Hey!" Jubilee yelled as the teen's boot connected with her chest and threw her back, but by then Logan had recovered enough to grab his/her arm.  
  
"What the hell?!" he yelled. The teen tried, and failed, to get out of his grasp as he spun him/her around.  
  
"Leggo 'o me!" The teen shouted.  
  
"You a boy or girl?" Kitty asked. The teen glowered at her.  
  
"My name's Ink," he replied. Now he did look more like a boy, but still had more feminine qualities about his face and didn't have the more broad shoulders that most boys did.  
  
"What the hell are you doing, crashing into us?" Logan growled, tightening his grip on the kid. Ink flailed out and suddenly another shout rang out.  
  
"There he is!" Ink froze and looked back over his shoulder, and Logan, Kitty, and Jubilee turned to look also. Three teens who looked like professional football players were charging across the food hall and pointing at Ink, who suddenly looked much smaller as they came up, shoved Logan aside and grabbed the teen. The biggest one grabbed the scruff of his neck and lifted him clear off the floor while one of the others turned to the three mutants.  
  
"Get outta here you three, yeh aint got no business right here." He growled. Logan was about to retort when suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Kitty jumped up and pointed a finger in his face.  
  
"Oh no you don't," she shouted. Everyone looked at her except Ink, who was still struggling in the other's grip. Kitty continued looking positively livid. "We were here first, that kid crashed into us, and you have no right to run us off, so take your problems out of here you big brute!" The teen gaped at her, as well as Logan and Jubilee, who hadn't seen this side of the teen girl before. Logan stood up and pulled Kitty away, then glared at the teen, who was looking dumbstruck.  
  
"Now what problem do yeh have with this kid?" he asked, nodding at Ink, who was still flailing out and growling. The three boys glared at him.  
  
"None of your business, dude," the teen holding Ink growled. Logan growled right back.  
  
"I can't just let you go beat this kid up. And besides, you aint even got the guts to pick on someone your own size, and you have to have two friends with you to do it?" Logan said. The teen dropped Ink and spun around, glaring at Logan fiercely as he flexed his giant muscles. Ink coughed and started to rub his neck as he glared at the three teens, but was now forgotten by them as they towered over Logan, who glared back. Kitty gulped and whispered to Jubilee, who looked extremely nervous.  
  
"Maybe this isn't the best place to be, right now," she said. Jubilee nodded. But before the boys or Logan could do anything there suddenly came a huge could of green and black smoke that enveloped the whole group. People in the mall started screaming and Logan, coughing, grabbed his two charges and started to search for the way out. The black fog was so thick it was nearly impossible to see anything, and the cloud seemed to be getting bigger, as they couldn't find the way out.  
  
Then a hand shot out of the black smoke and grabbed Logan's shoulder and pulled him forward, and the three mutants were pulled forward over upturned chairs and people gasping for air.  
  
A moment later the they fell out of the smoke into the sunlight, coughing and gagging. Logan looked up in time to see the kid named Ink nod briefly at him and then run off; traces of green and black smoke coming from his fingertips.  
  
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Short, I know, but I needed to end it here. Next chapter coming as soon as I get enough reviews asking for it. So review! Now! I mean it! Lmao! 


	2. Following the Stranger

Ok, here we go again, lmao. Not gonna bore you with junk I don't wanna type, so let's go on with it.  
  
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"So where is he?" Logan growled. Charles Xavier looked at him, wondering why Logan was volunteering to go look for the boy that had pulled them out of the mall, where two humans had died from high allergies to the smoke that had filled it and stayed there for two days. Also for two days Xavier had been looking for the boy, who had obviously been a mutant. But it had been almost impossible to find him, the brainwaves emitting from him had been mutant, but they were very faint, though he was right near Westchester, in it in fact.  
  
"He is in the bar downtown," he said. Logan's eyes went wide, he hadn't expected the mutant to be that close. Logan turned to leave when Xavier cleared his throat, and the Canadian turned to look at him expectantly.  
  
"Yeah?" he said gruffly.  
  
"Er, Logan, take it easy, if he chooses not to come to the school, don't force him." Xavier said hesitantly. Logan nodded and left.  
  
Half an hour later Logan entered the small bar and looked around for the kid with the strange kid, who he could not find for a while. Finally, after ordering a beer and searching around, he located the teen in the very back, his back to the room.  
  
As Logan approached he could hear the kid muttering under his breath, and he could see green and black smoke that covered the table like an eerie miniature fog. As Logan watched the smoke leapt up and formed different shapes, in wonderful detail and slowly rotating. It was amazing to watch as the kid seemed to be observing the shapes he was creating with the smoke. There were ghost men strutting around the table, cars, buildings, they all moved and disappeared in turns, some would rise off the table and fly around, leaving faint traces of smoke in their wake.  
  
Logan suddenly took a seat by the teen, and he looked up startled, the shadow figures disappearing immediately into the smoke at the bottom. The teen starred at him in a mixture of amazement and fear, but quickly pulled his face into an expression of uncaring as he put his feet up on the table. Logan took a long look at the teen as he raised the smoke into some towers and buildings.  
  
"So, you come here often?" Logan said, not sure of how to talk to him. Ink nodded slowly and then pulled out a cigarette and lighter. Lighting the cigarette the kid pulled out and offered it to Logan, who took it and let the kid light it to.  
  
"I come here once in a while," The teen said.  
  
"A bit young, aren't you? How old are yeh?" Logan asked. This kid's age was as hard to place as his gender.  
  
"I'm old enough. Now what are you here for?"  
  
"Teh ask you why those big brutes were after your blood." Logan said. Suddenly Ink's face got hard and he glared at the older man, the smoke on the table fell flat and shapeless. Logan was a tough guy, but even he was uneasy after a moment of starring into the cold green eyes, which seemed to be yellow and green in the dim bar light..  
  
"Sorry," he grunted.  
  
"Why don't you mind your own business, and head back ta that fancy school of yours. Jus because ya live up doesn't mean you have the right to get into other people's lives and personal business." He snapped. Logan was at loss for words for a moment, he hadn't expected Ink to know about the school or get upset at the mention of a couple teens that were ready to kill him.  
  
"Sorry," Logan grunted.  
  
"If you don't mind, leave." He said shortly.  
  
"You're a weird kid, yeh know that?" Logan said. Ink scowled at him and the smoke on the table rose to form one word that made Logan chuckle. 'Bye' was starring at him in green and black, and then it swirled upwards and burst apart right in Logan's face, fading away into the air and leaving a faint smoke in front of the Canadian.  
  
"Please go." Ink repeated, the smoke on the table coming up into an arrow pointing at the door.  
  
"Why should I? This little show is pretty fun teh watch," Logan said, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. Ink glared at him for a moment, when suddenly the two mutants heard a tapping at the window next to the table. Looking through the grimy windows Logan saw a little kid, no older than eight, banging on the glass and mouthing something. Ink jumped up, the smoke on the table vanishing into his fingers like a vacuum. With one last glance at the kid outside Ink spun around and left.  
  
Intrigued, Logan followed him outside, being careful not to be seen or heard by Ink or the child he was now addressing.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ink said loudly.  
  
"Belle was being bossy again," the child pouted. Ink rolled his eyes and then grabbed the boy's hand, looking around and then walking into the woods behind the bar. Now Logan was really interested and he followed the pair through the woods for about five minutes, when suddenly he heard more voices ahead. Ink dropped the kid's hand and turned to look at him.  
  
"You stay here for a moment Ben, come after the nuclear explosion, k?" Ink said, a faint smile on his lips. The little boy nodded and watched Ink leave. After a moment the he looked around, and Logan ducked behind a tree to avoid being seen.  
  
"Who's there?" the child asked. Logan would have smacked himself if it wouldn't have made a sound, and tried to stay still with the hope that the boy would drop it. He didn't.  
  
"I know there's a person out there, please come out or I'll call Ink, and he doesn't like strangers." Logan sighed heavily and stepped out. Ben seem unsurprised at him being there, on the contrary he grinned. "You're from the school!" he said happily.  
  
"Yeah, an who're you?" Logan asked.  
  
"My full name is Benjamin James Mont, but I'm usually jus Ben." The little boy said, looking proud at himself for remembering his name.  
  
"Yeah? And how do you know about the school? You live 'round here?" Logan said.  
  
"Well, now. But don't tell Ink I watched the school, he wouldn't like that." Ben said.  
  
"Huh?" Logan said, raising an eyebrow. The kid seemed to get sad all of a sudden.  
  
"Ink says that we cant have a home, like at the school, he says that only rich people have homes, and we're lucky enough to have food. Ink says-" But suddenly Ink appeared again, took one look at Logan and Ben talking, and grabbed the child, picking him up and backing away.  
  
"What are you doing, talking to him?" The teen demanded angrily. Ben looked down.  
  
"Hey kid," Logan said cheerfully. Ink glared at him.  
  
"What the bloody hell are you doing here? Get out afore I have to hurtcha!" Ink said loudly, then he turned and arched through the woods, ignoring Ben, who had started to howl and cry.  
  
"But he's my friend! No!" the little boy cried. It made it all the more easier for Logan to follow, but he had barely gone any further into the woods when suddenly it opened up into a small clearing. The sight startled the man, he had expected something like a tent or something, but this was pathetic.  
  
Dirty, torn rags were placed on the ground and a small campfire was going, illuminating a bit of several dirty pots and pans, which had two old backpacks leaning against them. Nine dirty children, ranging in ages from four to about ten, were sitting around, and they looked up, alarmed, as Logan entered the clearing. Ink was no where in sight, but soon he came up still holding Ben and having two girls, one about six, the other looked about twelve were following him. They froze when they laid eyes on the man.  
  
Ink seemed to be both furious and scared at the same time, and he dropped Ben immediately and reached into his pocket, flicking out a long knife.  
  
"I said get outta here!" he shouted. Then he turned to the children. "Well? Go on! Run!" Immediately all of the children leapt up and ran into the woods in separate directions.  
  
"No! Wait! I don't wanna hurt you!" Logan said, holding up his hands. But the children were already gone, and Ink was backing up slowly, holding the knife out in front of him and looking dangerous.  
  
"You ever come here again and I'll kill ya," the teen growled. Then he to disappeared into the woods.  
  
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*Sigh* well that was kinda weird to write. Please r&r so I can keep this going. And if I stop for a while it means I have writers block, so you'll have to wait it out. 


	3. Belle Decides Instead

Please review.  
  
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"I'm telling yeh, there isn't any adult down there, it's a bunch of kids that wander around!" Logan said. Xavier held up his hand.  
  
"Yes, I know, but there is nothing we can do at this moment. We must wait until they re-group before going and talking to them, and I don't think you should go anyway, they don't seem to trust you much since you barged in their camp." He said. Scott, who was standing beside him, nodded. Logan fumed inwardly, but said nothing and instead turned around and stalked off, muttering under his breath.  
  
"Do you want me to go?" Scott asked.  
  
"No, I think we should let Jean and Ororo handle this," Xavier answered. "I have no idea, but maybe a lady's touch may be better than a man's."  
  
"But backup, in case of trouble?" Scott said. Xavier chuckled.  
  
"You really want to go, don't you?" he said smiling. Scott also smile and looked down at his feet.  
  
"Yes," he answered truthfully.  
  
"Very well, you, Logan, and perhaps Kurt would like to go also." Scott's face fell.  
  
"Logan? But I thought you said-" he fell silent at the look Xavier gave him, and went to go get the other mutants.  
  
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"Ben! Come back here! Stop wandering off!" Ink shouted. The little boy started to laugh as he came back.  
  
"More people commin, Ink!" he chirped. Ink immediately got to his feet and the knife re-appeared in his hands. The children around him were asleep, but some stirred.  
  
"Wait, please don't run, we just want to talk to you," Ororo called as she and Jean approached. They stopped a little ways away from the clearing, and after a moment Ink appeared, holding the knife in his hand and Ben behind him, looking at the two women curiously.  
  
"What do you want, and who the hell are you?" Ink demanded.  
  
"They're from dat school!" Ben said, smiling. Ink looked at him, and scowled.  
  
"Get back to the others, wake'm up and keep them there!" he ordered. Ben smiled at Jean and Ororo and then ran back out of sight. Ink also turned back to the pair, but he was far from smiling.  
  
"What do you want?" he growled.  
  
"Only to offer a place for you and your siblings to stay," Ororo said gently. Ink stiffened.  
  
"I know what you mean, now get outta here before I kill you," he said.  
  
"We're not here to put you into a foster home, or take away your brothers and sister," Jean said. Ink's eye snapped over to her.  
  
"Who said anything about foster homes?" he asked wearily.  
  
"You were projecting a fear of them, I am a psychic," the red haired woman replied.  
  
"Yeah, well," Ink seemed at loss for words and the knife hung a little lower by his side. Suddenly a little girl ran out and grabbed his legs, she looked no older than four.  
  
"Inky!" she wailed, tears cutting through the dirt on her face. "Belle say no foo! Ungry! Inky!"  
  
"Shh, what? Common, Betty, go back, I'm busy!" Ink said gently, trying to pry the little girl off his leg, with no success. He looked back at the two mutants and then put away his knife, bending down and picking up his sister and walking back quickly. Ororo and Jean looked at eachother and then followed him.  
  
"What do you mean, we're out already?!" They heard Ink shout. "That food was supposed to last for another two days!"  
  
"Well I don't know! We had dinner yesterday and we ran out! It's not my fault!" Came a female voice.  
  
"Well, we have those damn social workers on our tails again," Ink said, sitting down and outing his head in his hands. Betty, the little girl that had came up to him before, hugged him tightly.  
  
"I ungry Inky!" she said again. Ink wrapped his arms around her tiny body and hugged her.  
  
"I know, but we need to go now," he said. Ororo and Jean sighed, then contacted Kurt, Scott, and Logan.  
  
Five minuets later the camp was packed up, each able child holding a rolled up blanket, Ink holding all the others and wearing one of the backpacks. The second oldest girl was also wearing a backpack, and they seemed quite empty. The fire was put out and Ink looked at all of the children and then picked up the little girl.  
  
"Common, we got to move on now, I'll get us some food when I can. Calvin, you and Christina keep your mouths shut, and try and keep the younger ones from complaining too much. We need to go." Ink announced. Two kids who looked about ten and like they were twins nodded and the boy glared at a younger child who was about to speak.  
  
"Alright, forward march!" Ink said loudly. But as he went forward he heard none of his siblings move or reply. Turning around he saw them all gapping at a human-like creature that had come out of the woods. Blue fur covered his whole body, and his ears were pointed, like an elf's. He had yellow eyes and a tail that swished behind him, and when he smiled at the children he revealed pointed white teeth. Tattoos covered his face and the bit of hand they could see. Ink grabbed his siblings and pulled them behind him, set Betty down, and flicked out his knife.  
  
"What the hell?" he said. To his left Ororo and Jean appeared, and he heard a noise behind him, and turned around to see Logan standing there, a man with a red visor around his eyes and brown hair standing beside him. Checking to be sure there was a place he could get his brothers and sisters out Ink pushed them a little further away.  
  
"What is up with you people?" he yelled.  
  
"Listen, Ink, we only want to help," Ororo said calmly. A little boy started to walk towards Kurt, his eyes wide, but Ink grabbed him and pulled him back.  
  
"Yeah, well, help by leaving us alone!" Ink said, trying to keep his siblings close to him. Suddenly he felt like a black fog was creeping up inside of him, and he closed his eyes. "Oh god, not now, shit," he whispered.  
  
"Ink?" the twelve year old said, looking at her older brother. He fell backwards and seemed to be unconscious. Jean and Ororo rushed forward and gently pushed the younger children aside. But one of the twins, the boy Calvin, moved in front of them and snatched his brother's knife, holding it front of him but looking very unsure of what to do with it.  
  
"Calm down, we're not going to hurt him, I'm a doctor," Jean said. Calvin looked at his older sister and twin, the two girls shrugged, and he moved aside. Jean looked the fallen teen over for a moment and then stood up.  
  
"We need to get him back to the school, and we need to get these children cleaned up and fed a bit, they look like they could use it," she said. Scott and Logan came and picked up Ink, and Ororo addressed the children.  
  
"We are going to take your brother up to the school for medical attention, and we would like you to come with us. We can get you some food and clothes," she said.  
  
"My name is Belle," the oldest girl said, stepping forward. "I take charge when Ink is not here or, um, like this. We'll go with you," she added.  
  
"Yay! We gonna go to a school!" Ben yelled, jumping up and down. "We gonna be rich people!"  
  
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Kkk, bad ending, I know I know, don't slaughter me, but I think next chapter will be a bit... surprising. I'm planning a few twists, please review so I can start to write it and post it! 


	4. This Isn't Right

A/N; well this is interesting, only 5 reviews? Well, cause I like writing this I'm going to continue, but I will need more reviews to keep going. Strange-Angel, where are you? Well, here are a few replies.  
  
giveGodtheGlory; you continue to be a very loyal reviewer, I luv reading your reviews, and I'm glad you read this one. I'm not quite sure about the black smoke inside, but that does give me an idea... You're Paige's bro right?  
  
Paige Guthrie; You are also reviewing lots of my work, tell me the story you want me to finish and I promise I'll try to get it going if I've stopped. I get tons of writers blocks, but I bet if I really focused on one I could overcome it. Thank you so much for all of your reviews!  
  
Angelofdragons; whoa, cool sn! Glad you liked the story, I hope I hear from you again soon!  
  
And people, I'd like to make an announcement. As of today, August 16, 2003, I have reached a great goal of 200 reviews for all of my stories! Yay! And guess who submitted that 200th review? Drum roll please... *drum roll starts*, step forward PAIGE GUTHRIE!!!! You great gal! I'd send you a pizza, but I don't have the money right now ;).  
  
I am so happy to announce that, thank you all reviewers who helped me reach that goal!!!  
  
Well, enough banter from me, here's chapter 4!!!  
  
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Ink woke up with an extremely sore head and Ben bouncing on his stomach.  
  
"Yay! Ink woke up! Hak! He woke up!" the little boy cried, a huge grin plastered on his face.  
  
"Ugh, Ben, get offa me!" Ink groaned, pushing the boy away and sitting up. Slowly he realized he was in a room, and there were no other children there. This last fact woke him up faster and he looked around with wide eyes. She saw a man in a white lab coat holding a clipboard and smiling at her. He was large, very large, and had blue fur, like the other man's in the woods.  
  
"Where am I?" Ink demanded. "Where are my brothers and sisters?"  
  
"Sleeping I suppose, but little Benjamin here woke and came down here, you've been out all afternoon." He said. Then he stuck out a large blue hand. "I am Doctor Henry McCoy, though most people call me Hank."  
  
"Hak gave me chocolate!" Ben said, grinning. Hank laughed.  
  
"Gave some, got robbed of the rest, little felon," he said. Ink looked at his hand and then back up at him, and slowly shook it.  
  
"Where am I?" he repeated.  
  
"You are in the medical bay of Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," Hank said, looking down at his clipboard and making a note. "And take it easy, I'm still not sure why you blacked out the way you did in the forest. I wouldn't advise getting up-" but when he looked up he saw Ink standing and picking up his little brother.  
  
"I'm fine, that just happens sometimes." Ink said, looking around him again.  
  
"Still," Hank said, but Ink cut him off.  
  
"I'm fine," he insisted. "Can I see my siblings?" Hank sighed and nodded, putting down the clipboard and walking towards the door, which slid open automatically. Ink followed him, still carrying Ben.  
  
"So, how old are you?" Hank asked as they walked through the halls.  
  
"Fifteen," Ink replied, hoisting his brother a little higher he followed the big man.  
  
"Do you have any legal guardian we can contact?" He asked.  
  
"I am the guardian of us," Ink said coldly, "and there's nothing legal about me."  
  
"Here we are," Hank said, raising an eye brow at his last comment. He opened the wooden door to reveal a bedroom with two large beds in it. In the beds were all eleven of the kids who had not greeted Ink in the med bay. Ink's eyebrows shot up as he saw that each was clean and in new cloths, mostly T-shirts and jeans. Just then Ink noticed that Ben was also in new cloths, and there was no dirt on his face, in his hair, or anywhere on him.  
  
"What?" he said.  
  
"Hak gimmie food, but Roro gave me a bath, did like that much," the little boy said sadly. Hank laughed.  
  
"All of the younger ones seem adamant on not calling us by our rightful names," he laughed. Ink still looked confused, but walked into the room and found a bare spot on one of the beds, placed Ben on it, and told him to sleep. He then went back to the door and closed it, looking at Hank.  
  
"Why are you doing this? What do you want?" he said.  
  
"We want you and your family to be safe, Ink, that's all. You're welcome to stay or go whenever you like, you are not prisoners here or anything like that." Hank replied. "Now, are you hungry?" Ink nodded and once again he followed the large man down several hallways.  
  
Walking down Ink searched his pockets, and to his immense relief found his knife, as sharp and deadly as ever. A minute later they turned a corner and Ink found himself in a large kitchen. Ink recognized Logan, who was sitting in it and sipping a beer, and there was the other blue man with the tail and yellow eyes, and the white haired woman he was sure was called Ororo. They looked up and the blue man and Ororo smiled, Logan grunted and seemed intent on ignoring him.  
  
"Hello Ink," Ororo said. "Hungry? We've got some dinner stuff left over, let's see, salad, here some chicken," she said, turning around and rummaging through the huge refrigerator.  
  
"Uh, sure," Ink said.  
  
"Velcome to ze school," the blue man said. "My name iz Kurt Wagner." He stuck out his hand, and Ink found himself shaking it despite himself. Ororo passed him a plate of food and he looked down at it, never have expecting this kind of treatment.  
  
"Is something wrong kid?" Logan said, noticing Ink's discomfort, and the way the kid was just gaping at the food.  
  
"Uh," was all Ink could get out. Hank went to the refrigerator and got out some food for himself and then sat at the table in the middle of the room, then pulled out a chair next to him.  
  
"Come sit, you look like you can use some food," he said.  
  
"No, I'm not, uh," Ink seemed to be searching for the words, but the X Men looked at him strangely.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ororo asked.  
  
"This isn't right," Ink said.  
  
"Huh?" Hank said.  
  
"Vot's not right?" Kurt asked. Ink put the food on the table and stared at it.  
  
"My brothers and sisters and I, we don't belong here, this place is for rich kids. In the morning we're leaving, we're not gonna take anyone's charity," Ink said, then he turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Ororo, Kurt, and Hank speechless. Logan however took a bite of Ink's food and chewed it thoughtfully.  
  
"That kid's gonna get his whole family killed," he said at last. "Those little ones of his were half starved when they came in here, does he think he can take care of them all?"  
  
"Well," Ororo said slowly. "The little boy Ben said that Ink was taking care of him since their father left, I don't know, maybe we should try and talk with him."  
  
"I think talking with the girl Belle would be a more efficient use of our time," Hank replied. "She seems to be second in command, and willing to listen to reason. I agree with Logan, Ink cannot take care of all twelve children alone, he's only fifteen."  
  
"Only fifteen?" Kurt repeated. "I thought he vos seventeen, at least." Ororo nodded.  
  
"Then we shall talk to Belle before they leave, tonight even. Perhaps if we can convincer her to stay, the other children will also, and then Ink will stay. Kurt, will you go wake her?" she asked. Kurt nodded in agreement, and with a 'bamf' and cloud of smoke he vanished. Five minutes later he reappeared with the twelve year old girl, who looked both startled and sleepy at the same time.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, looking around at the four mutants.  
  
"Hello Belle, I hope you don't mind us waking you," Ororo said. Belle shrugged.  
  
"No problem," she said.  
  
"Vould you like to have a seat?" Kurt asked, pulling out a chair. The young girl nodded and sat down, and Kurt and Ororo also took seats. They looked at Hank and motioned for him to start.  
  
"Um, how long has Ink been taking care of you?" Hank asked. Belle thought for a moment.  
  
"Um, when Betty was born our mom died, then when Ink found out she was a mutant out dad left, so about four years. She does a good job-"  
  
"Who, she?" Logan said, putting his hands up. Belle looked bewildered for a moment, but then her eyes went wide and she clamped a hand over her mouth.  
  
"No, I meant, uh, no! Ink's a boy! I meant he, I did!" she said in a rush. By now all four adults were looking very startled.  
  
"You mean, Ink is a girl?" Ororo asked.  
  
**************************************************************************** **********  
  
0_o, plot twist! Ok, ok, ok, so I hadn't even expecting myself to do that, but oh well I thought of an ending but you know, well, the story just turned this way. Lmao, hopefully I didn't turn anyone off, besides, I can't write a boy, maybe cause I don't have the motivation yet. You'll see me doing characters like Logan and Kurt and others fine, but I just cant get a OC boy, I'm afraid I'll screw him up and make him more like a gild, :P. This is for the good of all ya boys out there! Lmao. Review, you know the drill. 


	5. They Must Stay

"Ink's a female? A girl?" Logan repeated. Belle looked horrified and shook her head, but it was clear that her stammers were lies.  
  
"No! Ink's a boy, male, a he!" After a moment she fell silent and put her head in her hands and started to cry.  
  
"Oh," Ororo said, getting up and going over to the small girl and hugging her. "Shh, it's ok, you didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"Yes I did!" the girl sobbed. "Ink made us swear to not tell anyone she was a girl! Betty doesn't even know what she is! She said call her Ink instead of he or she, so if they ever met anyone they would think Ink was a boy!" Logan exchanged bewildered looks with Kurt and Hank, this was more than they ever expected to hear.  
  
"Why would Ink want people to think she was a boy?" Ororo asked, looking down at the brown haired girl in her arms. After a little bit her tears subsided enough to let her look up at Ororo.  
  
"I don't know, she never said. She just gets all mean and stiff, and she looks just like Dad did before he..." but the tears started again and she buried her head in Ororo's shoulder. The white haired woman exchanged significant looks with the men, who were watching speechless. But Hank seemed to get the message and walked out to go find the professor. He motioned for Kurt and Logan to follow, and they had a hurried whisper conference in the hall.  
  
"I'm going to go find Professor Xavier, you two have to keep Ink away from here, if he, she finds that Belle has told what she has obviously worked very hard to conceal, well, who knows how Ink will react?" he said. Logan and Kurt nodded.  
  
"Kurt, if you can find Ink and trail him, I mean, her, I'll stay and stop her if she comes," Logan said gruffly.  
  
"Vat vill you tell her if she comes back?" Kurt asked. Logan shrugged.  
  
"Whatever I think of," he growled.  
  
"Yes, but make sure you don't let her know that you know she's a girl, if you slip up..." Hank said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah" Logan said, waving his hand and going back to the kitchen. Kurt nodded at Hank and then teleported off to find Ink and Hank left to find the professor.  
  
Five minutes later he knocked on the door and heard a groggy voice say "Come in Hank." When the large man walked through he found the professor, who had appeared to have fallen asleep reading a book, which lay in his lap.  
  
"Professor, I have something to tell you about Ink," Hank said. Xavier seemed to become awake instantly, and he straightened in his chair and looked at Hank.  
  
"Yes?" he asked. Hank hesitated.  
  
"Ororo and Logan is downstairs with the girl, Belle," he said. "Kurt is looking for Ink. We were talking with the girl, she told us, well, she accidentally told us the Ink is, is not, a boy." Hank said, still confused about what he had just found out. Xavier blinked.  
  
"Ink is a girl? Why didn't she let us know?" he said. Hank shrugged.  
  
"Belle doesn't know either. Nor does any of the other children. She says that Ink told the older ones to call her Ink or boy, never tell anyone else that she was a girl. We don't think the younger children even know Ink's gender, or they think she's a boy." Xavier thought for a moment, and then wheeled over to the door. Hank followed him as they went down to the kitchen.  
  
Ororo was rocking Belle, who appeared to be asleep in her lap, her head on Ororo's shoulder. The white haired woman and Logan looked up as the professor and Hank entered. Xavier looked at the girl and Logan and Ororo. Then the man cleared his throat softly and spoke to the small group.  
  
"These children need a home, whether it's here or somewhere else."  
  
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Short chapter, I know. Forgive me. Also, since school is close I may not be able to post as often, so sorry. I started writing in the summer, and I'll continue to write when I can, but I'm going to be doing sooo much, sigh. School, basketball, and plays come first for me and my parents. Review, tell me whatcha think about this, might prompt me to write faster.  
  
-Ice Lynx 


	6. Ink's Departure

"Come on, you lot! We have to get moving! Oh jeez, where is Billy?" Ink looked around for her ten year old brother.  
  
"I think he went to the bathroom," Christina said. Her twin Calvin nodded, and they both shook their blond heads up and down, looking comical. Ink rolled her eyes and flicked her knife open and closed. Finally she snapped it closed.  
  
"Which bathroom?" she asked. Calvin pointed down the hall.  
  
"The one down there," he said. Ink started to walk towards the door when suddenly A small brown haired boy came up. Ink sighed.  
  
"Alright, Bill, now are you coming or what?" she asked. Right then Kurt and Hank walked in and smiled at everyone. Betty and a couple of the other children cried out and leapt forward, tackling the blue men and climbing on them, laughing and yelling. Hank and Kurt also laughed and started grabbing and trying to pull them off. Ink was at loss for words, not have expecting her brothers and sisters to greet these people so warmly.  
  
"Get off of them, Betty! Bill! Belle, help me get them off," Ink said. She and Belle, along with the help of Christina and Calvin, managed to get all five of the little kids off the two men. Hank laughed and picked Betty up swinging her high up. Betty squealed with delight as Hank tossed her up and caught her again, then placed her gently down on the floor. Ink's eyes went wide and she pulled Betty over to her, glaring at Hank.  
  
"Yeah?" she said gruffly. "And what do you want?"  
  
"Just to tell you that Professor Xavier wants to have a word with you before you leave," Hank said.  
  
"Ve can vatch ze children until you come back," Kurt said. Ink snorted.  
  
"Yeah right," Ink said. She looked over at Belle. "You're in charge till I get back, get this lot back to the front door, keep them ready to go fast," she muttered as she walked out the door.  
  
"K, um, Ink?" Belle asked. Her voice was unusually high. "Uh, before you go, can I talk to you?" Ink looked at her little sister strangely and then nodded, and walked out into the hall, shutting the door after Belle. Hank and Kurt looked at eachother, and a couple of minutes later they heard a yell.  
  
"YOU TOLD THEM WHAT?!" Suddenly the door slammed open, hitting the wall so hard it dented the wall behind it. She grabbed Betty and picked her up, glaring at Christina and Calvin. Hank looked out the door and saw Belle, silent tears streaming down her face.  
  
"You two, come on, we're leaving now." Ink spat. Calvin looked ready to wet himself and Christina, as well as a few of the other children, looked ready to start crying themselves.  
  
"But Ink," Calvin said in a faint voice. Ink whirled around.  
  
"We are leaving, now." She said in a dangerously low voice. "Now get the others ready to go, now!" Christina and Calvin nodded and turned around to get Ben and the others. Ink turned around to go, but found the doorway blocked by Belle. Ink looked startled.  
  
"Belle? Help get your brothers and sisters," she said. But Belle put her hands on the doorframe and her jaw was set.  
  
"No," she said, in a voice so small it was almost impossible to hear. But then she cleared her throat, looked at the floor, and then looked again, no longer crying. "No." she repeated, firmer and louder.  
  
"Wha-?" Ink said. Her mouth hung open, and all of her siblings looked equally surprised. Ink had been more like a parent to them, and her word was law among them. Especially for Belle, who had always listened to her older sister and never argued with her. Even Hank and Kurt were speechless, but Ink looked ready to have a heart attack.  
  
"I said no, I'm not leaving, and I'm not letting any of us go with you either." Belle said.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about, you're not going?" Ink growled, putting her tough face back on.  
  
"I said, none of us are going with you. If you want to go, fine, but we're not coming back with you. We can't keep going the way we were, we wont last. These people are nice, and we're staying. Leave if you want, you'll be fine on your own." Belle said. Calvin looked at his twin and stood beside her, and soon Christina joined them in the doorway.  
  
"We can't keep going Ink, she's right," Christina said.  
  
"Yeah, we won't last, not all of us." Calvin agreed. Ink looked shell shocked, and looked at the other children. All traces of toughness and her defiant attitude gone. She was even paler than usual and her eyes seemed to be shining. Wordlessly she dropped Betty, looked at them for a moment longer, and then pushed her way through the door, leaving Belle, Calvin, and Christina to watch after her. Christina walked looked at her older sister walking down the hall and then called back after her.  
  
"Ink! Wait! Don't go!" she cried. Ink closed her eyes and started to walk faster down the halls, and upon reaching the front door she flung it open and broke out into an all out run.  
  
Xavier looked out the window and watched the teen run across the lawns. He sighed heavily and turned around to face Ororo and Jean, who were also watching Ink over his shoulder.  
  
"Follow her, one of you, whoever," Xavier said. "At least for a few days, make sure she doesn't hurt herself."  
  
"Wait, look," Jean said suddenly, pointing out the window. Ink was sticking near the wood edge, sneaking back towards the school. She got closer and out of sight, but Xavier concentrated and told the two women where she was.  
  
"She's headed to the garage, and she's taking one of Logan's bikes." He said. "Ororo, go stop her, hurry." Ororo rushed out of the room, but a moment later a loud motor was heard, and Ink came within view again, this time speeding off on a red and black motorcycle. A moment later Ororo was seen flying off after the teen, and the Professor looked at Jean.  
  
"Go help Hank and Kurt take care of the children," he said.  
  
"Um, professor?" Jean asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are any of the other children mutants?" she asked. Xavier shook his head.  
  
"No, Ink is the only one. But they still need our help, and they are only children." He said. Jean nodded and walked off to care for the twelve remaining kids.  
  
**************************************************************************** ************  
  
Luv y'all, but I keep handing out short chappies, sorry! Review and I can write more, more, and more! Yay! Giddy tonight! Heeheehee!  
  
-Ice Lynx 


	7. 3 Bullets for Carl Arington

Ororo moved a bit higher to make sure she didn't lose sight of Ink, who was riding so fast that it was extremely difficult to keep up. The teen had stolen one of Logan's bikes and gotten it out of the garage by filling it with smoke so thick that though she could breathe and see through it fine it had held back and enraged Logan and a worried Ororo. Ink smiled to herself grimly, knowing it would be a few days even before Xavier could begin to get rid of her special smoke, it had a tendency to stick around unless she called it off.  
  
But the smile soon was replaced by a scowl, no one in her position could stay happy for long. Sure, she had this great new bike and no one else to look after, but that was also part of the problem. She had taken care of her brothers and sisters for years and loved them deeply, she was willing to die to save them, and she had nearly done so several times when the people she stole food from caught her. And now her own sisters and brother had turned their backs, argued against her, and driven her out. That was not supposed to ever happen, she was practically their parent, she was their care-taker, she was in charge.  
  
And now she was alone, riding off to a place she had never wanted to see again, what was happening? She knew that her life had been hard, almost impossible, but she knew what she needed and what was happening; now she was confused, furious, and plummeting into a deep depression. To try and fight these emotions she chose another danger, a physical one, pushing her bike to its limits.  
  
Ink looked at the speed speedometer, it read 124. This was a fast bike, perfect for her use. Cars honked and swerved occasionally, but Ink neither noticed or cared, she was too busy watching for gaps in the highway traffic and digging up the road maps in her head.  
  
'That girl is going to kill herself,' Ororo thought worriedly. She turned on her communicator and waited patiently as it rang, and then someone answered it.  
  
"Hello?" Scott's voice answered.  
  
"Scott, ask the professor if you can take the blackbird and come after Ink and I, I don't think I can keep up with her much longer," she said. After a pause she heard Scott briskly start to walk, and a minute later she heard a low conversation between in him and undoubtedly Professor Xavier. Then Scott got back on the communicator.  
  
"I'll be right there," Scott said. The link closed and Ororo went back to following Ink, who was only a blur below her, seeming to knock other cars out of her way on the road.  
  
**********  
  
Ink pulled into a small parking lot, one she had seen many times before, one that always lead to trouble. She was in the small 'town' or Coroner, aka The Corner. It was a town so small it wasn't considered one except by its inhabitants, all fifty of them. Despite the size though, you didn't know anyone but your friends very well, and most people preferred to talk to strangers passing through.  
  
The bar's name was 'Owen's', after the dog of the man who gave the owner the idea to start it, Owen had been shot a week later for attacking a group of school children when he and his owner went to another town to get something or other. It was a dark place full of mean people, and this was the best place to find the old one-time friend of her old one-time family.  
  
Parking the bike in the parking slot right by the door, where she could keep an eye on it, Ink got off and sighed. Walking inside the dimly lit place she found it hadn't changed at all, not the foggy air from all the smoking that went on inside (both from cigarettes and the stove that always turned out black sandwiches to the customers). The music was still deafening, old rock, and it was still a tiny bar with a few tables and chairs, most ready to collapse into toothpicks, held together by enormous amounts of duct tape that barely held out much better in the same kind of fights that brought it there in the first place.  
  
Ink looked around and to her relief and surprise she saw him there.  
  
******  
  
Harold Mackling sat in the back, as always, puffing on a cigar with a mug of coffee in front of him. He always drank coffee at all times, not believing in beer or the other beverages served at the bar. He was a druggie, not an alcoholic.  
  
He looked up unsurprised as Ink came over by him, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it she sat down and looked around. Then she looked at him. This was the moment he had been waiting ten years for, the moment the Cassandra Aringtil confronted him about her father. He knew it was coming. He always had, and he was glad it was finally here. Cassandra never left important things alone; she never had and never would.  
  
"Hey," she said, also unsurprised at his lack of reaction to her presence.  
  
"Hey boy, whatcho doin roun' these parts? Ah though yeh took all them kids and when somewheres north long ago." He replied, using 'boy' only because it was his idea in the first place that she hid her true gender. Well, half his, he thought she should have gone as a lesbian, she had said no and that she was going to not just have people think she thought like a boy, but actually was a boy.  
  
"Ah did, till one nigh when they all took flight an left their las' parent," Ink said, going back to the rusty hard speech so common in the little town. No one was quite sure why they all spoke this way, least of all the inhabitants. They just did, and that's all anybody round there needed.  
  
"Oh ho, an did their liddle wings soar in the morning breeze, or was it Hell's lava on the groun' that made'em go?" Another town saying, you either left soaring beautifully in the morning breeze, off to find success and fortune, or you were forced out by something or other, of to meet whatever end you came upon. Ink sighed heavily.  
  
"Twas their own fire that made them fly," she said. Harold also sighed and leaned back in his seat, not knowing what to say in this situation.  
  
"And are they right?" he asked finally.  
  
"Dunno, they gonna end up separated, never seein the others agin, is that right?" she asked looking up at the skinny man. He shrugged.  
  
"An you left'em to meet that end?" he said. Ink glared at him.  
  
"I did not come all the way from New York to be reminded of earlier days," she said, dropping the accent. Harold shrugged, so she continued. "I came to find him."  
  
"An what're yeh doin once yeh find Carl?" he asked. "Yeh gonna kill'em? Is that gonna change nothin? Will it make it all fine?" Ink glared at him.  
  
"Yeh know where he is, jus tell me an I'll be on my way. This aint no concern of yours till a cop questions yeh, and then that'll be the end of it for yeh. Tell'em yeh never saw or talked teh me, Ah found my way on my own. Now where is he?" Harold shrugged.  
  
"Ah still don' see why it's important fer yeh teh go kill'em, Cass, it won't change nothin and yeh'll have a dead man on yer hands. Yeh wont be able to go back teh yer kids if yer in the slammer." He said.  
  
"Ah'll kill'em and hide'em, that old prick wont be found fer weeks. And no one roun' here recognizes me cept yo, so the cops wont know less yeh tell'em, and Ah hope fer your sake that yeh don't, or I'll be charged fer double murder afore I'm done." Ink growled. Harold laughed, then slid a small gun across the table to Ink, who grabbed it and then put it in a pocket on the inside of her jacket.  
  
"He moved his lyin' ass up next door teh Mrs. Packa, who died three moons ago. Yeh'll be using the gun that shot Benji." Ink paused from getting up as she heard the last comment, and felt the gun again.  
  
"An the bullets?" she asked.  
  
"Same brand. Ah been wait'en a decade fer this, Ah hope yeh do it righ an don't get caught. Good luck, an nice bike." He added, reaching out his hand. Ink smiled and stood, taking it and shaking.  
  
"Yeh'll neva know what this means ter me, thanks fer yeh help Hare. Take care." She said, then turned and walked out of Owen's.  
  
***********  
  
Ten minutes later Ink parked her bike in the woods and continued near the road on foot, leaving the motorcycle in a ready position for a quick getaway. Taking out the gun she walked through the dark towards a house with a single light on, and a shape moving restlessly in front of it, back and fourth. Unknown to the teen, Logan was following her, talking low into the communicator and filling in Scott and Ororo of Ink's movements.  
  
"She left my bike and is on foot, heading to this old hermit place," Logan said. I think she has a knife in her hand, she's definitely nervous about something."  
  
"Keep hidden for now, tell us if she does anything at the house." Scott replied. Logan rolled his eyes, he wasn't just going to go up to her and ask what she was doing.  
  
***  
  
Ink was very nervous, but also very excited, and determined. She walked to the front door of the house, having to walk through a small porch to get there. She knocked a couple of times and then stood back, cocking the gun. She was unemotional as she heard the footsteps approach the door, and she raised the gun.  
  
***  
  
Logan knew what she was going to do before he saw the gun.  
  
"Scooter, she's gonna kill somebody!" he said.  
  
"Stop her!" Scott said immediately. Logan started running, but it was too late.  
  
***  
  
The front door creaked open and a tall man built muscular but rather fat was standing in it, his unshaven face looking confused and upset. When he saw Ink he froze, the last thing he ever saw where her green eyes, full of hatred and anger, and then she squeezed the trigger. Releasing every bit of frustration and fear she had ever felt, as well as the overwhelming wave of fierce rage she had against the man.  
  
"NO!" Logan yelled, hoping to make Ink miss and save the scum's life. No doubt there was a good reason for Ink to kill him, but she shouldn't, no one should kill before they were old enough to drive.  
  
Carl Aringtil fell from the first shot, but there were two more bullets pumped into his body. Ink did not drop the weapon for a while, nor did she turn or take her eyes of the man who had been her father until the night he shot her brother, the same night they lost their mother, and the night the thirteen children lead by an eleven year-old mutant left their drunk father and dead mother and brother to live off the streets and garbage of the world. It had started with this man, and now Ink had ended it. Three shots, one for her mother, one for her brother Benji, and one for her. 


	8. What Ink Wants

Thank you all you kind, gracious, wonderful, excellent reviewers!!! I luved reading them so much, please send me some more!!!  
  
I'm not going to bore you with lots of talk, but I must say this is one of the longest chapters I've written, or at least it feels like it... lol.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Ororo, Scott, and Logan were in a state of shock. Scott flew the blackbird back to the mansion, starring out the window and trying to calculate what happened back in the town. Logan had grabbed Ink's gun and destroyed it with his claws, afraid the girl would shoot someone else or even herself, but Ink never moved or took her eyes off the man she had killed. Three bullets of revenge, representing her life of misery, pain, and the effects of having to become an adult way before her time. Now it was done, and the man she blamed was dead.  
  
Ink herself sat in the back of the plane, not moving or protesting, indeed continuing to stare straight ahead of her with cold eyes. She did not think, recognize anyone, or give any signs of life other than breathing and her slow pulse. Ororo left the co-piloting duties up to Logan, sitting near Ink and trying in vain to get some reaction from the teen, whose hand was still curled in the shape of a gun hilt.  
  
"Professor, we have Ink. She's fine... she got a gun and... yes, we think it was her father... no, she's alright..." Scott quietly talked to Xavier through the com link and looked back at Ink, who remained staring ahead. The leader of the X Men looked at Ororo, who shook her head.  
  
Later that evening the docked in the mansion and to everyone's surprise Ink looked up and muttered.  
  
"Where is Belle?"  
  
"I'll take you to her," Ororo said instantly. Ink nodded acceptingly and stood up, slowly following the weather goddess out of the jet. Logan and Scott exchanged looks.  
  
"Yeh think she'll be alright?" Logan grunted. Scott shook his head.  
  
"I don't know, but something horrible must have happened to her to make her shoot that man." Scott replied. Logan nodded.  
  
"They'll most likely be in the rec room," Ororo said as they walked down the halls. After a bit they reached the rec room, and sure enough almost all of the twelve children were laughing and playing with mutants from the school, who seemed to be glad to take care of the younger ones. Ororo made to walk into the room but to her surprise Ink stopped her.  
  
"No, I just want to look for a second," she said. Ororo looked at the teen closely, her eyes were no longer green but rather a dull grey, and the white haired woman was worried about her.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked. Ink looked at her for a while, then turned her gaze back on her younger brothers and sisters.  
  
"Why are you doing this? This school's for mutants, why are you letting twelve normal kids stay here? Are you going to break them up into separate foster homes?" she asked. There was no anger in her words, only a tired question.  
  
"No, we will not break up your family unless it is what they want. We will take you in for as long as it takes for you to be able to get on your own feet, or until all of you are old enough to make your way in the world." Ororo said.  
  
"But why?" Ink asked again.  
  
"Because, we care." Ororo said slowly. Now there was sarcasm and a bitter note in Ink's voice.  
  
"If our parents did not care, why should anyone else?" Ororo could not answer this question, it baffled her. Then Ink walked into the room, hands in her coat pockets, and looked at her brothers and sisters. Belle immediately jumped up and ran over to Ink, crying out her name and jumping into her sister's arms. Ink hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear.  
  
"I'm sorry, Belle, I didn't want to leave. I'm back now, we're staying together, don't worry." Belle hugged her for a moment longer and then stepped away, looking at her closely.  
  
"You did, didn't you? You finally went." She said. Ink nodded.  
  
"Yeah, dad won't bother us anymore," she said with a sad smile. Just then Ink was tackled by her younger siblings, and Belle laughed as her eldest sister disappeared in a pile of younger children.  
  
"Inky! You came back! Yay!" they cried. Ink nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but when did I ever leave you guys?" she asked.  
  
******************  
  
Later that night Ororo showed Ink to a room for herself, and the girl sat on the bed and took out her knife, flicking it open and looking at the shiny steel blade.  
  
"Have you ever killed someone? A family member?" she asked. Ororo nodded and sat on her bed, also looking at the knife.  
  
"Yes, I have killed someone, but not family," she said. Ink nodded.  
  
"Of course, no one who is real kills their own blood. Even if it's bad," she added as an afterthought. Ororo looked at her closely.  
  
"Why do you think you have bad blood?" Ororo asked. Ink laughed, but it was cold and short.  
  
"I know I do. Everyone in my family who has the blackness has bad blood. They've all died after horrible lives that would have been better not to have lived."  
  
"The blackness?" Ororo said, confused.  
  
"The sickness that makes us pass out from time to time," Ink explained. "One day some smart, sensible person will kill me, I hope before I do anything stupider then some of the things I already have. I hope it's Belle, the person who kill me." She added. Ororo was shocked.  
  
"Why? What have you done? I have seen you defend and do your best to care for your brothers and sisters, is that bad? I would call it honorable." Ororo said truthfully. Ink snorted.  
  
"Honorable, like what I did tonight? Killing that bastard? Belle knows I have been planning it for a long time, so did the man who gave me the gun to do it. Those three bullets were meant for Carl Aringtil, they always were since he killed my older brother." Ororo's eyes went wide and Ink laughed again. "Yeah, I had an older brother. His name was Benji. My father was drunk one night and they got in a fight. Benji was shot with the same gun I shot my father with." Ororo could say nothing right then, and it looked like Ink was going to say more, so she didn't try.  
  
Ink herself was feeling the tears that were coming up, but she had had so much experience pushing them back down it came as no problem for her. "That was after my mom died, and so I took Beth and ran away, she was only a few days old. Later I came back for the rest, I couldn't leave them there with that fucker. I would have shot him then, but I couldn't do it.  
  
"We lived off the streets for several years, evading the social workers that were following us for a bit and then dropping our case easily. I never stopped making plans for the day I would kill him, and it's a load off my shoulders now that the day has passed." Ink broke off and looked away.  
  
"Why do you dress as a boy?" Ororo asked. Ink turned around and looked at her, the tears were harder to shove down now.  
  
"Because boys are not preyed on as much as girls," she said. Ororo was horrified, she had not expected this. Then Ink looked at her straight in the eye.  
  
"Did you ever notice that I am the only member of my family with a name that begins with a letter other than 'B' or 'C'?" Ororo nodded. "Well, that's because my father's name was Carl, and my mother's was Belle. They decided that every other child should be named their letter, it started with Benji, then went to me, then Belle and the twins Calvin and Christina, because they were born at the same time, and so on. As soon as I found I was the only one with a mutation I knew I needed a different name, and that's how I got Ink, because of this smoke that I have mastered."  
  
"What was your birth name?" Ororo asked. Ink looked at her, as if trying to remember that herself. Then she shook her head.  
  
"It does not matter. All that matters about me is my blood, which is why I should leave as soon as possible." Ink said. Suddenly the door burst open and Belle marched in.  
  
"You're real name is Cassandra, Ink, Cassandra!" she cried. It was hard to say who looked more shocked, Ink or Ororo. Belle had started to cry again. "And you don't have bad blood," she said weakly. Suddenly Ink seemed to get hard and mean. Jumping up she grabbed Belle's hand and brought the knife down swiftly, making a small ct in her palm. Ororo jumped up and Belle tried to get away, but Ink had her in an iron grip.  
  
"Look at your blood, look at it!" Ink spat. Belle looked at the bright red blood streaming down her hand and Ink put the knife blade next it, catching some of the blood as it came out. She turned and showed the knife to Ororo, letting go of Belle's hand and seeming to forget her.  
  
"This," Ink said. "This is real blood, the blood of some one else's family. This," she said, cutting her own hand, "is my father's blood, my blood." The blood that came from her own veins was not bright red, or in deed red at all. It was dark green and had black in it, like her smoke. It was also thick and drained slower than Belles had. Ororo gapped at it and Ink could not hold in the one tear that managed to slip down her cheek.  
  
"This is the blood of Ink, that blood that should not have been allowed to keep flowing, because all I do is cause more problems and danger for my family. Stop crying Beth, you said it yourself, I can't take care of you or the others, we would have starved one by one until there were none of us left." Ink said. Beth shook her head.  
  
"You wouldn't let us, Ink! You have always taken care of us! Mom and Dad couldn't after... but you always did. After dad shot Benji you got all of us out of there without anyone getting hurt, and you've kept us alive ever since!" Belle said, tears still falling. But there was no arguing with Ink. She just starred stonily at her hand, which was still bleeding.  
  
"I am who I am, nothing will change that. Now if you'll excuse me..." She walked over to the bathroom and slammed the door shut, and Ororo looked at Beth.  
  
"Come, she just needs some time alone. Let's see, Jean can fix that hand in no time." Ink listened to the door shut, announcing the departure of her sister and the woman.  
  
Then the tears came, heavy and unrelenting. Ink cried for a long time there, about her mother, about Benji and what happened so long ago... it seemed like lifetimes since Ink gave up her home and name and became Ink, the caretaker of twelve. She could never afford to cry, she had a huge family to take care of, and anyway crying was something a boy didn't do, and that's what she whished she was.  
  
She thought about her father, and knew that either he was still unfound or Harold had found him and left him in the woods for the wild things to take care of his remains. Good ole Harold, who had always stuck by Ink and was once nearly beaten to death for it by her father. He had been Carl's friend, until the man turned against his daughter, eldest son, and Harold. They had taken care of her, and Carl had killed one and nearly done the other in. Ink was glad she shot him, it meant that he would no longer be able to hurt anyone, and though she knew Benji would not have approved, she had Harold, who not only supported her in it but even came up with the gun and bullets that she needed.  
  
Then Ink thought of her siblings. Belle would be in charge now, weather Ink stayed or not, and the mutant knew it. She was more sensible than Ink could ever be, and she was growing up too fast to be under Ink's protective wing anymore. And Calvin and Christina were also growing up fast. Ink hardly recognized any of her brothers and sisters anymore, except Benjamin. Ben was always her favorite, no point in denying it. He always stuck with her and was the nicest little boy in the group.  
  
But he to was growing up and even Ink's motherly vision could see that. These kids were going far, every one of them. As the tears subsided Ink got up and shakily looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.  
  
She looked old. No wonder the bartenders never questioned her when she came into the bars. Her eyes weren't that sparkling green they used to be, but more graying and there was a bit of a shadow underneath him. Her shoulders weren't held high like they used to be, but rather appeared to be carrying a great and invisible load. She wasn't that tall, sure, but not many people in her family were. Looking close at her two shoulder length green bangs Ink also noticed they had dulled in color, but that might be expected.... Ink didn't know anything anymore! Not about her family, not about herself, or the world, or where she was right now. Nothing.  
  
There was nothing for it, Ink couldn't stay around anymore, her sanity, fragile enough already, was getting more and more endangered as she tried and failed to be the parent her brothers and sisters never had. She couldn't leave on another bike, in fact she should probably go get rid of the smoke in the garage, on the way up to her room she had smelled it and could see the garage door was barricaded. It was kind of funny; too bad there was nothing worth laughing for anymore.  
  
Ink slowly made her way down the hallways, it was past midnight and everyone appeared to be sleeping. One room's door was slightly open, and Ink somehow knew this was where her family was. Opening it slightly she peered in and whispered a goodbye to the sleeping kids. They looked so peaceful in the bit of moonlight coming from the window. They would soar in life, if they ever got off the platform their father and Ink had built for them. They deserved everything they wanted or needed.  
  
Closing the door softly Ink resumed her walk towards the garage, trying to decide if this was what she really wanted to do. But that answer was easy, it was yes of course.  
  
The answer was the best possible choice for someone like her, this was the one thing Ink was sure of. Leaving her family to make their way on a golden road, she laughed at how corny it sounded. Then she thought for a second, this time she'd take a green bike, red hadn't really done it for her.  
  
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Aw well, sort of a cliffie right then. I'm not saying anything about it except the more reviews I get the faster I will write, and I need at least five to post it at all.  
  
-Ice Lynx 


	9. The Blood of Ink

Well, here's the last chapter! At last, *sniff*, it's been short but fun and I want to hear from everyone who reviewed this before so I know whatcha all think of my ending, I'm not going to talk there cause I like it the way it is, and my big mouth would ruin it, lol.  
  
Paige Guthrie; Sure ya can use Ink after this! You just have to send me the link to whatever you post, or if you don't post it, please e-mail it ta me! I'd love to see what someone else would have Ink do, lol.  
  
giveGodtheGlory; I just registered the last review and all I can say is "OH MY GOSH I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!" Please don't stop reviewing me cause I accidentally, well, you know *blushes like a beet*. Ah, I'd love to hear from you about what you think about the ending, I've decided to post it a bit early. Again I am sooo sorry you'll never know, how embarrassing... no hard feelings, eh?  
  
daysprings daughter; well, here ya go! I'm so glad you like the story and Ink, yes she is a bit complex, huh? Well, here ya go! The *sniff* last chapter...  
  
I Luv y'all and am so sorry this had to end, but hopefully (and probably) I'll see ya in my other stories! Oh yeah, if ya like sad stuff my other 'good' sad story is Green Predator, I'd luv it if you reviewed it, it's also finished! Yay, I actually finished another story!  
  
-Ice Lynx  
  
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Ink walked down the halls as fast as she could. Whipping down one at the end she saw Logan, who was yawning widely. Instantly she jumped back out of sight and made a quick plan. Green and black smoke poured out of her fingertips and started to take the shape of a person, a trucker she had seen once and thought looked scary and liable to kill someone. Her life- size model complete, she snapped her fingers and concentrated. A second later the smoke man started to walk, leaving a faint trail of smoke behind him.  
  
Turning him around to walk past the hall she sent him on his way, and saw a closet, which she hid in. Making the smoke man walk into the center or the fork in the hallways, and a second later she heard Logan shout.  
  
"Hey bub! Who are you?" running footsteps, Ink snapped her fingers again and the smoke man turned and appeared to flea down the other hall, disappearing as soon as it was out of Logan's sight. The gruff Canadian stopped, looking both ways and tried to catch the scent of the 'intruder'. Then he went and ran down the other hall that the smoke man had gone down. Ink looked out as he vanished from sight and smiled grimly to herself, then continued to go down to the garage.  
  
She met no other obstacles on her way down, and she found the garage much as she left it. Filled to the max with green and black smoke. All of the windows and outside doors were open, but appeared to have glass in front of them because the smoke just riled up against it and did not leave. Another small smile came when Ink saw a heavy duty air cleaner running in the corner. These people were almost pathetic!  
  
Walking into the middle of the smoke filled garage she extended her fingers and arms and, after a moment of concentration, she saw the smoke leaving through the doors and windows, rising up into the sky and then vanishing with the soft breeze that had just started. She kept only a small smoke barrier around herself, before starting to make it disperse.  
  
"Hey!" A shout behind her made Ink turn around, startled. Logan, breathing heavily and looking extremely agitated with his claws out. Ink suddenly realized that with the remnants of her smoke barrier around her it must look an awful like her smoke man, and Logan seemed to tired and pissed off to recognize her. On instinct Ink made the barrier thicker and had the smoke go all black by taking the green in near her.  
  
She was concentrating on her smoke so much she barely dodged the three silver claws that ripped through the smoke and narrowly missed her stomach. Now she and Logan were acting on pure instinct, each using their powers to their fullest extent possible.  
  
"You do not mess with me, bub," Logan growled. "I'm the Wolverine." Ink didn't reply, instead her hands shot out and what appeared to be a tube of smoke shot out and wrapped around Logan's head, filling his nose and mouth. It looked like a snake, and was solid enough to be one. Instantly Logan was short of breath, and no matter how hard he tried he found it impossible to get rid of the smoke that was effectively killing him.  
  
"And you do not mess with Cassandra Arlington," Ink spat, the smoke around her vanishing. But Logan was too busy trying to get air to hear her words or notice who she was. The mighty 'invincible' Wolverine was now close to passing out, and it had been easy for Ink to arrange. She was suddenly struck by how useful this little trick was.  
  
Taking out her knife in case Logan had any plans on surprising her Ink slowly circled him, in a ready position. As her back was to the door Logan collapsed, and she was trying to decide to wait for him to pass out or die, wondering which would leave a greater message, when suddenly a glass vase crashed over her head. It didn't knock her out, but Ink did fall, and the smoke in Logan's airways vanished, leaving him completely gasping for air, bent over on the floor.  
  
Ink slowly looked at her attacker, and to her surprise saw Belle looking horrified and scared out of her wits.  
  
"Belle?" Ink said, trying to register the girl's sudden.  
  
"You were going to kill Mr. Logan!" she said. "I couldn't let you, oh my god!" She had suddenly turned white and clasped a hand over her mouth. Ink blinked, trying to clear her vision enough to see what her little sister was pointing at. She was pointing at her stomach.  
  
Ink had fallen on her own knife, and now it was sticking out of her up to the handle. Belle looked completely freaked out, and to her absolute horror and confusion Ink chuckled, then cough up a bit of green and black blood. More of it was spilling out of her stomach, and Ink gritted her teeth and pulled it out, dropping the knife and completely collapsing. Belle rushed over, screaming.  
  
"Help! Somebody help!" tears appeared as the young girl turned her sister over. "Ink, hold on, we'll get some help and then you'll be fine, they have a good doctor-" but Ink smiled, a genuinely happy smile, and grabbed her sister's hand.  
  
"I hoped it would be you, Belle," she said, coughing again. Belle looked up again.  
  
"HELP!" she screamed. Then she looked back at Ink. "I didn't mean to, honest! I only wanted you to stop killing Mr. Logan!" Meanwhile Logan had managed to grab a car fender and stand up. He looked at the two girls for a moment and then staggered over.  
  
"Hold on," he growled, pushing Belle away. He made to pick Ink up, but a weak smoke barrier stopped right next to his nostrils, making him back off immediately. Belle looked at Ink, who smiled at her.  
  
"Don't break up the family," she whispered hoarsely. Belle shook her head and watched Logan back out the door to go get help. Ink started to cough again, but after a moment stopped at her head fell limply to one side. Jean, Ororo, Scott and Logan broke though the door at that moment, but stopped abruptly when they saw that Ink's chest was no long rising or falling. Belle was crying softly, cradling her older sister's head in her lap.  
  
Green and black blood covered the floor; and everyone knew it was the blood of Ink. 


End file.
